Arm strong lifting straps

Abstract

A lifting harness to allow a user to lift heavy objects without using excessive force from the hands, but to allow the load to be lifted by the users legs and back. Two straps go across the users back and extend to near the fingertips of each arm. The user wraps the free ends of the straps around a load, such as handlebar handles, and grasps the strap ends, which applies friction, and then the load may be easily lifted.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A lifting harness comprising:
 a left shoulder strap with a first end and a second end, with said first end extending from a point near the tip of a user's fingers on a left side, when said user is standing with arms and hands handing down in a relaxed position, over the top of a left shoulder, and across the user's back, with said second end ending at a position approximately at the user's waist on the right side, attached to a right shoulder strap;   a right shoulder strap with a first end and a second end, with said first end extending from a point near the tip of a user's fingers on a right side, when said user is standing with arms and hands handing down in a relaxed position, over the top of a right shoulder, and across the user's back, with said second end ending at a position approximately at the user's waist on the left side, attached to a left shoulder strap;   a left connector attached to the second end of the right shoulder strap and to the left shoulder strap first end, above the left strap first end; and   a right connector attached to the second end of the left shoulder strap and to the right shoulder strap first end, above the right second strap first end; wherein   said first ends of said straps are configured to wrap around a load and be secured by friction around said load with minimal hand pressure applied, and to be released by release of the user's hand grip around the load.   
     
     
         2 . The lifting harness of claim in which said straps further comprise a high friction portion adjacent to said first ends of said straps, to increase the frictional positioning of said strap ends by the user's hand grip. 
     
     
         3 . The lifting harness of  claim 1  in which said first strap ends are configured to wrap around a load handle, such as handles of a wheel barrow. 
     
     
         4 . The lifting harness of  claim 2  in which said high friction portions are configured for frictional engagement and contact with each other under a load such that the worker's arms can reach around to overlap said high friction ends as in around a bag of feed. 
     
     
         5 . The lifting harness of  claim 1  in which further comprises a back buckle which connects the shoulder straps over the user's back. 
     
     
         6 . The lifting harness of  claim 1  in which said left and right connectors are replaced by hook and loop fasteners. 
     
     
         7 . The lifting harness of  claim 1  in which said left and right connections are adjustable. 
     
     
         8 . The lifting harness of  claim 1  in which one of said straps and one of said connector can be formed into a shoulder loop for lifting a load by a single strap. 
     
     
         9 . A method of forming a lifting harness comprising the steps of:
 connecting a second end of a right strap to a point near a first end of a left strap, leaving a free portion of said right strap for wrapping around a load and being held in place by a user's hand grip;   connecting a second end of said left strap to a point near a second end of said right strap, leaving a free portion of said left strap for wrapping around a load and being held in place by a user's hand grip;   with said straps dimensioned to extend from a user's waist on one side of his body, to over a user's shoulder, and across his back, and to said point near the first end of the opposite strap   wrapping said free ends of said straps around a load handle, and holding in place by the user's hand grip from each hand.